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I am heartbroken. I just came back from my test drive and the tranny was AWFUL! In auto mode it felt like a total loss of power between shifts and the manual mode was only somewhat better. Does anyone else feel the same way? Am I the only one who feels like this transmission is an almost insurmountable problem? I have been waiting years for this car and am expecting delivery relatively soon (I am an 1187). I need words of encouragement, preferably from those who have already taken delivery
did you drive a u.s.-spec smart or one from the road show? the road show smarts were horrible but i was pleasantly surprised with the production car. i guess if you are used to modern automatics it will feel strange but if you are used to stick shift cars it becomes natural quite quickly.
You will get used to it very quickly. I did. It is different from what we are used to with full automatic, but if you ever drove a manual it's like having someone else shift for you.
Wish I had some words of encouragement. I too had my 5 minute "test" drive, and was underwhelmed. My wife also took a spin, and had exactly the same reaction. I've read quite a bit on here an other places that you can circumvent the issue a bit by using the paddles, and letting off on the gas while shifting. I'm going in again next week to a different dealer for another shot at it. I really want to like this car for a number of reasons, so hope it will feel better.
I really hope you're right about that. I'm not likely to get anywhere near 30 minutes to find out. The biggest reason I'm looking at the Smart, is that it will fit in my golf cart garage. That way, I'll have more room for the other 3 vehicles. Don't get me wrong, I think the Smart is very cool and has loads of potential. I really do want one, but want to enjoy the drive.
Where are you in Murrieta? I'm in Menifee.........
I have driven a stick for the last 10 years. That's what made it so surprising to me. Even when using the paddles or stick (+/-) there was a really sluggish feel. I tried playing the gas pedal (easing up, coming off, and various combinations thereof) My only hope is that a longer drive (mine was 10 minutes) will allow me to get more used to it but I would give anything to have the responsiveness of a real manual tranny.
I am heartbroken. I just came back from my test drive and the tranny was AWFUL! In auto mode it felt like a total loss of power between shifts and the manual mode was only somewhat better. Does anyone else feel the same way? Am I the only one who feels like this transmission is an almost insurmountable problem? I have been waiting years for this car and am expecting delivery relatively soon (I am an 1187). I need words of encouragement, preferably from those who have already taken delivery
I can honestly say that after about an hour driving around yesterday I found it perfectly workable and today when I was out I was very comfortable with it. Even put it in automatic and played around with that a bit. It isn't a car you can hope into and feel comfortable in a few short minutes, but it is quite nice after a bit of practice. It's just a matter of timing, much like learning to drive a standard shift was that first time.
Been driving mine for a week now, and I'm getting use to it finally. When I first got it and tried auto mode, I thought my head was going to hit the windshield, it lagged so much between gears. Then I switched to using the paddles, and letting up on the gas a bit between gears. I haven't driven stick in 25 years, but it came back to me and I started to really enjoy it. Then I tried using the floor shifter and had some problems initially with which way was up and which way was down. But now I'm shifting well enough to leave some cars in my dust. (OK, the truth is they're looking at the car and not paying attention to the light.;))
I just came back from my test drive and the tranny was AWFUL! In auto mode it felt like a total loss of power between shifts and the manual mode was only somewhat better. Does anyone else feel the same way?
Am I the only one who feels like this transmission is an almost insurmountable problem? 
Linear Mode
